


Finding Miracles

by EmternalSummers



Category: NINE PERCENT (Band), 乐华七子NEXT | NEX7
Genre: Also lowkey violent, College AU, It has its moments, M/M, Soft kind of, cafe setting, domestic abuse
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-08-29
Updated: 2019-08-28
Packaged: 2020-09-28 22:03:15
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 16,208
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20433176
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/EmternalSummers/pseuds/EmternalSummers
Summary: Bi Wenjun's friends have always been considerate, so when they take him to a small coffee shop in an attempt to help him get over his now-ex, he never would have expected to be entranced by the beautiful owner, Zhu Zhengting. After multiple visits, Wenjun can't stop himself from falling deeper and deeper in love with Zhengting, but he still faces two obstacles: Zhengting's boyfriend, as well as the secrets Zhengting is keeping from the college student.





	Finding Miracles

**Author's Note:**

> Just wanted to let everyone know this is a (very belated) birthday gift for my wonderful girlfriend Sophie :) I love you a lot and hope you enjoy this~! And for everyone else, follow us on @AlternateNex7 on twitter for when we occasionally post AU prompts as well as possible fic updates. I'm back in school now, so I'll probably be writing more. I won't keep you any longer, so enjoy!

The city passed by in a bustling blur, people running from place to place as the rain pounded down. Cheap neon lights glowed against the gray background, creating a dull hues of color on the crowded sidewalks. Whoever was left outside were rushing around with umbrellas in a vague attempt to protect themselves from the downpour that covered the street. 

A small group of men walked huddled together, rain jackets soaked and single umbrella split between them being practically useless at this point. Held high by the tallest member, the three around him tried their best to walk under the edges of the protective material. They eventually pulled off under a shop on the side of the road, grumbling as they stood under the overhang, that provided some shelter.

“Wenjun, you need to get better at actually using the umbrella,” the shortest one grumbled, shaking his head back and forth to dispel some of the water from him. The tallest merely shrugged, offering an awkward smile.

“I’m sorry Zeren, I’ll try harder next time,” Wenjun returned kindly, dipping his head slightly. Zeren only huffed, crossing his arms.

“Maybe if Yanchen was here you wouldn’t be so grumpy about it~!” On the other side of Wenjun, Xinchun had spoke up, snickering as he did so. That seemed to hit the wrong chord in Zeren, whose face immediately flared up, the boy himself closing his hands into small fists.

“N-Not true! Besides, he can’t help it if his internship is out of town this week!” Zeren said, trying to compose himself. From behind Wenjun, Quanzhe poked his head out, stepping to one side.

“Aren’t we here for Wenjun anyway?” He said, looking between the other two. This immediately caught their attention and they shared sheepish glances before nodding. “Because at least you still have a boyfri-”

Quanzhe was cut off by Xinchun placing his hands over the younger boy’s mouth. He mumbled against the opposing hands for just a moment before giving up, Wenjun chuckling softly. “Guys, I’m fine, really. You don’t have to worry about me like this.”

“Not true! How long have we been friends? You need a good time out of your house! And that’s what we’re here for!” Zeren declared, looking around. He turned around to examine the shop they had stopped in front of. Under a light blue awning, there was a decorative paned window that had the words “Winter Light Cafe” elegantly written across the front. Inside there were round wooden tables, each decorated with a small vase and flowers.

Wenjun, noticing Zeren’s attention, tilted his head as he looked inside. It seemed fairly empty for a Wednesday afternoon, though he doubted the rain really helped with that. “Shall we try going in there?” He mused, feeling like the little cafe was the perfect place to spend their rainy day. The others looked between themselves before shrugging and starting inside, triggering a small bell to ring at the door once opened.

The inside looked far more elegant than it did from the outside. Tables were set up around the main area, all a deep brown wood with matching chairs. White table cloths adorned the top of the tables alongside the vases with single cut flowers. To one side there was a bar that held the register as well as a collection of teas and coffees against the wall. Beyond the wall display seemed to be the entrance to whatever kitchen they had here. And from it, after they all came inside and closed the door behind them, appeared the waiter.

He was tall, slim, and carried a gentle air around him, much like the cafe itself. He had a few bandages on his fingers, which Wenjun noticed, but they soon lost his attention. If he could describe the man in one word, it would be gorgeous. If anything, his smile put the delicate flowers on the table to shame. The brunette watched the waiter’s lips move, and he was immediately in love with the soft and airy voice that followed. The gentle tones and pitches were extremely pleasant to the ear. In fact, he was so much so infatuated with the sound, the actual words seemed to phase right through him until Wenjun felt a small shove from Zeren.

“C’mon, he said to sit wherever we want. Lead the way,” the shorter whispered softly, rolling his eyes as Wenjun quickly stuttered and apology and chose a table near the window. They each sat around it as the waiter set down menus in front of them. Wenjun tried not to stare at their waiter too much, though it seemed like a nearly impossible task.

Flipping through the pages, Xinchun waited until the waiter left in order to let out a small laugh, trying his best to hold back. “Junie, don’t tell me you already have a new crush?”

“W-What are you talking about!? That’s not true!” Wenjun was taken aback from Xinchun’s statement, eyes going wide. Zeren and Quanzhe joined in on the laughter, making the older boy even more embarrassed. “He just had a nice voice…”

“Oh no, here we go again,” Zeren started with a roll of his eyes. “Wenjun, the last time you and your ears froze from the sound of someone’s voice, you ended up being a stepping stone in their relationship with someone else. Maybe you should stop that habit?”

Zeren’s comment was met with a harsh whack on the arm from Quanzhe, who immediately shushed the older boy. “Zeren! Aren’t we here to try and forget about all that?” He chided, glancing worriedly at Wenjun. The oldest merely smiled softly, shaking his head.

“Guys, you really don’t need to worry about me this much. Like I said before, I kind of saw it coming,” Wenjun tried to softly mediate the situation, but his comments didn’t seem to quell his friends’ anger.

“Yeah, you saw it coming when Yanjun had his tongue halfway down Zhangjing’s throat!” Xinchun retorted, pointing on finger at Wenjun. “You didn’t deserve that!”

Wenjun opened his mouth to respond, only to hear a crash in the distance. Over by the entrance to the back kitchen, their waiter had dropped one of the four cups he was carrying, looking shocked. Swearing under his breath, the man profusely apologized as he delivered the other three cups of water, promising the bring the fourth one over as soon as he could. Wenjun could tell that he seemed rather nervous, blindly picking at the bandages that graced his slender fingers before he disappeared to grab a broom and another water.

With a frown, Wenjun watched as he disappeared into the back once more, the wall blocking any view that he had. Any conversation they were having had simmered down into nothing, the four quietly waiting for their waiter to return. A few moments later, appearing slightly more frazzled than before, he reappeared with a glass, which was placed in front of Quanzhe, along with another quick apology.

“Sorry about that, again… If you’re ready, I can take your orders now if you’d like!” He chimed, trying to lighten the mood by giving a charming smile to the group. Though behind the smile, the waiter looked like a bundle of nerves about to burst, Wenjun still appreciated the effort.

The group went around to ordering, getting some of the various sweets the shop offered. Wenjun watched as their water took down each order, reciting them all back once they finished. Once they were satisfied with the order, the waiter bowed slightly and made his way back into the kitchen.

From his side, Wenjun felt a nudge from Quanzhe, who spoke quietly. “You’ve been watching him this whole time… Did you really get a crush already?”

Wenjun chuckled, ignoring the confused looks from Xinchun and Zeren. “I can still appreciate my views, can’t I?”

Quanzhe laughed in return and nodded before looking over towards the door, which had opened and set off the tiny bell once more. In walked two students, wearing uniforms strikingly similar to what the group’s youngest was currently wearing. They were both tall and soaked, showing the rain hadn’t even begun to lighten up.

“Zhengting~! Can we please have some towels~!” One of them called out, shaking his head like a dog and getting his friend wet. The slightly taller one scowled as the water droplets landed on him and bumped into his friend.

“Justin? Is Chengcheng with you?” The waiter popped his head out from the kitchen, effectively answering his own question. Nodding politely to the other boy, his tone then turned into a scolding one. “And watch your volume when there are customers, please.”

Justin looked around the small cafe to check the validity of Zhengting’s statement only for his eyes to land on Wenjun’s table, specifically on Quanzhe. His expression lit up, a mischievous expression taking over the young boy’s features.

“Zhezhe! It’s you! I didn’t even know you had friends!” The boy who originally spoke sauntered over, slinging one arm over Quanzhe’s shoulder, who had seemed to want to disappear into himself. “You’re always so quiet and lame during class, I never would have thought you would be with other people!”

The young boy’s words were quickly cut off as the waiter had come back over and smacked him over the head with a towel. “Justin, I will not have you speaking like that to anyone! Now get upstairs and start your homework. Chengcheng already went up,” he scolded, fixing a harsh glare in Justin’s direction.

The only response Zhengting got was a whine, which was heard throughout the cafe as he made his way up towards a set of stairs. “Wait, is your boyfriend up there? I don’t want to go up there if he is!”

Zhengting’s face flamed red at the comment as he shooed Justin up the stairs, hissing something in response. Wenjun’s group watched in silence, eyes following with slight curiosity. The waiter came over once more and bowed deeply, his head nearly hitting the table.

“I-I’m so sorry about that! I hope it didn’t ruin your stay, please, this visit is on me,” the brunette said hurriedly, hands curling into small fists. Softly, Wenjun placed one hand on his shoulder and lifted him from his bow slightly.

“Please, don’t worry about it. You seem like you’re doing the best you can here. Don’t mind us too much,” The group’s oldest spoke softly to the waiter, though that seemed to be his natural tone. His lips were upturned in a slight smile and eyes twinkled with a sense of understanding. The waiter stopped for a moment, taking in the sight of the man before him, and then continued.

“Thank you… If there is anything I can do to improve your stay, please let me know.” With that, he turned back towards the kitchen, trying to hide another reddened expression.

After a few moments, Xinchun immediately rounded on Quanzhe, glaring at him. “You said everything was going fine at school!”

The blond didn’t answer, but instead focused on sipping his water, eyes fixed on the vase in the middle of the table. Zeren had joined in as well, leaning forward slightly. “Quanzhe, have you been lying to us this whole time?”

Again, the youngest avoided the question and merely shrugged, fiddling with his thumbs. “I mean, it’s not like it’s going badly…” He mumbled, not meeting the gaze of his concerned friends.

“You’ve been shy ever since you were a baby! Of course we’re gonna get worried if you don’t have someone at school with you! It’s your first year there alone since Zeren graduated last year,” Xinchun pointed out, taking a sip of his own drink and looking pointedly at Quanzhe. Still, the youngest just shrugged and avoided the topic, the group lapsing into silence. 

Not too much longer later, Zhengting had returned with their orders, carefully setting each one down. If possible, he looked to be slightly more frazzled than he was earlier, his hands wringing at the towel that was tucked into his apron. When the group had confirmed everything was fine, he hurried back upstairs to where Justin and Chengcheng had disappeared to earlier. Wenjun watched with rapt curiosity before starting into his food.

“You know, for such a tiny place, their food is pretty good,” Zeren commented, shoveling part of a cinnamon bun into his mouth. Xinchun nodded in agreement around his muffin, closing his eyes briefly.

“Wenjun, why can’t you bake like this?” The second oldest joked, using one foot to jokingly kick Wenjun from under the table. The oldest merely rolled his eyes, slowly picking away at his shortcake.

“Oh, so my cooking isn’t good enough for you? May as well just find somewhere else then!” Wenjun teased back, causing Xinchun’s expression to drop as he fervently pleaded with the older to allow him to continue eating his cooking.

Once more, they fell into a light hearted conversation over their food, Wenjun only losing his attention from the rest of the group for a moment when Zhengting had come back down stairs, a bit more unstable than before, and began to absently clean glasses behind the counter of the bar. The only one who seemed to notice his lapse in attention was Zeren, but he made no comment on it. They finished eating and paid for the bill, explicitly making sure Wenjun didn’t even have enough time to bring his cash out. 

Waving farewell to Zhengting, they huddled back outside under the awning, arguing on which way home would keep them the driest under their singular umbrella. While Xinchun and Zeren had gone back and forth, the door to the cafe had opened, tiny bell making a tinkling sound that caught Wenjun’s attention.

“I thought you guys could use this. It’s old, but it still works. Ah, and you don’t need to bring it back or anything!” Zhengting had approached Wenjun, who was closest to the door, and offered an umbrella. It was long and black with an elegant looking handle, far from looking old or ratty. Gratefully, Wenjun lightly grasped the handle into his hand, nodding. For a moment, their hands overlapped on the handle until Zhengting rapidly pulled his away, retreating into himself.

“Thank you for this. It really helps us out a lot,” Wenjun replied, glancing down to where Zhengting’s hand was. Under the sleeve of his white button up and carefully bandaged fingers was the appearance of an angry looking red mark, but the taller knew better than to say anything. Softly thanking the waiter once more, Wenjun nudged Zeren out of conversation with Xinchun and told them to just start walking, opening the second umbrella, and allowing the shortest male to share it with him as they made their way home.

*

Zhengting watched from the bar as the group of four made their way back out into the rainy city afternoon. With a ghost of a smile on his face, the brunette went back to his task at hand, cleaning glasses for the night, and tried to push his earlier interaction out of his head. 

With that group, he had become such a mess and he had no clue why. Just the way the tall one, Wenjun, had looked at him had sent shivers down Zhengting’s spine. His gaze wasn’t predatory, like the waiter was used to, but instead simply curious and kind, with only the smallest hint of concern.

Nothing like what Zhengting was used to. At all.

As if on cue, there was the sound of shouting coming from the floor above him. With a sigh, the brunette went to turn the sign on the door to closed before going upstairs to see what the commotion was about. Above the cafe sat Zhengting’s own living quarters, suited with two bedrooms, a small kitchenette, and a combined dining and living room. In reality, it wasn’t much, but he never felt like he needed a lot to live in the first place.

Standing at the end of the small hall that led to the bedrooms was Justin, bristling and looking as if he were ready to punch someone. That someone being Cai Xukun, Zhengting’s boyfriend. A popular idol who was rapidly gaining recognition, Zhengting had met him some time ago and had been infatuated with him ever since. Though, all because he had a nice face did not mean the personality had transferred over. It wasn’t rare for Justin to break up a one sided fight between the couple, with Zhengting sporting all the bruises and Xukun having bloodied knuckles.

“This is the last fucking time! There were even customers downstairs! What part of you thought that punching him in the stomach for breaking a glass was a good fucking idea!?” Justin hissed, narrowing his eyes. Zhengting could just make out the form of Chengcheng standing behind the light haired boy, probably being the only thing keeping Justin from pummeling into Xukun.

Meanwhile, the idol looked unfazed, his expression as calm and even as ever. “It’s not my fault he’s clumsy like that. I financed this little place of his, so it’s my money he’s wasting when he breaks stuff.”

“You-!”

“Justin, stop,” Zhengting’s voice cut off any comment that was about to come out. He sounded tired and exhausted, but still commanding enough to settle the younger down. “Didn’t I tell you to finish your homework?”

Justin opened his mouth to respond before closing it. Tossing a hateful glare in Xukun’s direction, he took a worried Chengcheng by the wrist and marched into his room, pointedly slamming the door once they were inside.

“You know, I still don’t know why you take care of a brat like him,” Xukun commented, sparing a glance in Zhengting’s direction. “He just seems to butt in too much.”

Zhengting sighed and went over to Xukun, lightly hugging his boyfriend from behind. “Don’t mind him, then. He’s still growing up.”

Xukun turned around to face Zhengting, gaze still sharp and uncaring. Rapidly, his hand came up and attached itself to Zhengting’s neck, squeezing it slightly. “You know, when I said you could live here, I didn’t expect you to bring a whole brat with you. I’m not here to play daddy to some kid whose parents are too busy for him. You better straighten out his personality, otherwise you might just need to look for a new house.”

The older man coughed, feeling a restriction to his breathing. His heart pounded wildly in his chest as he tried to piece together Xukun’s words. He let out a strangled breath to signal his understanding, but it fell short. Instead, Zhengting nodded the best he could, before feeling the hand release its deathly grip.

“Anyway, you better make sure the shop is closed for the night. I’m heading out on a two day shoot soon and I need some release,” The idol walked into Zhengting’s room with a lazy wave of his hand. The older continued to gasp for breath as he used one hand on the table to stabilize himself. He felt light headed from the lack of oxygen, but carefully made his way downstairs anyway.

Arriving down to the cafe, it was empty as it had been after the group from earlier left. Zhengting scribbled a quick note to place on the door for the usuals he knew would come later before slowly making his way back upstairs, feeling slightly better. In the sitting area, Justin was grumbling as he threw things into his bag. Chengcheng was sitting in one chair, scrolling through his phone while softly commenting on whatever Justin was fuming about.

“Where are you going?” Zhengting asked, though his voice came out far more hoarse than he intended. Justin looked back with a slight glare before answering.

“I don’t want to be in a house with _ him _ all night, so I’m going over to Chengcheng’s place,” Justin said, adding as much disgust as possible in his voice when speaking about Xukun. Zhengting sighed, knowing he couldn’t change the younger’s mind.

“Make sure you thank his parents for letting you stay over,” The older reminded gently before placing a soft kiss on the top of Justin’s head. The younger paused for a moment, his face looking as if it were about to burst into tears at any given moment at the gesture.

“Why are you still with him?” Justin asked, fixing a pleading stare in Zhengting’s direction.

The older merely managed a sad smile, ruffling Justin’s hair. “Because I love him,” was all he said before heading into his bedroom, which had a door that was quickly slammed shut and the sound of a sharp yelp of pain could even be heard from where the two high schoolers sat.

Without another word, Justin finished his packing and strode downstairs and out the door, followed closely by Chengcheng, who only watched the smaller boy sadly as he disappeared into the rainy evening.

*

The next few days proved to be busy for Wenjun. With one of his major composing assignment’s due date coming up soon and his own concert in a few weeks, he found himself feeling stressed and bothered by nearly anyone who came near him. He was typically the solitary and silent type, so with his only friends being those since childhood, it was hard to deal with the constant badgering of his peers. He couldn’t even get a moment’s respite in the library without being bombarded with questions from those in his classes. He was often regarded with high talent for his department, and that just so happened to come with underclassmen coming to him for clarification and a multitude of questions.

Which led him to his current predicament. He was standing outside the Winter Light cafe, umbrella in hand. Despite it being a sunny day, Wenjun had thought to bring it with him. Thinking of using it as an excuse to go in and visit the handsome waiter once more, he steeled himself before opening the door to the cafe, looking around slightly.

It still looked the same as when he had come with Zeren, Xinchun, and Quanzhe, but now it was illuminated by the glow of the afternoon sun. It gave the whole place a whimsical look to it, almost as if it were a fantasy cafe. Then, stepping out from the kitchen was the beautiful waiter from last time. The only difference was the large cooling patch on his cheek and slightly shocked expression.

“It’s you!” He said before covering his mouth with one hand. “Ah, I’m sorry, that was probably rude of me…”

Wenjun merely chuckled, shaking his head. “No, no. You’re fine. And it’s Wenjun, not you,” he added after a second thought and teasing smile. “Ah, I’m here to bring back the umbrella, an have some coffee, if you don’t mind.”

The waiter had a shocked expression on his face before having his own small bout of laughter. “Okay then, Wenjun, why don’t you have a seat at the bar? Is there anything you’d like in particular?”

“Oh, just an Americano would be fine,”

And like that, Wenjun found his new favorite place to focus on his work. It was quiet most of the time and while there were a few occasional customers, it never got overly busy during the late afternoons when he typically visited. Not to mention that Zhengting’s voice was one of the few things that kept Wenjun going. It’s soft and sweet quality wasn’t harsh on his sensitive hearing, though on occasion he did hold his concerns over the slender man. More often than not, Zhengting was sporting a new injury somewhere on his body. The one time Wenjun had asked, the waiter had immediately become defensive and swore it was due to his own clumsy personality.

In essence, Winter Light was everything Wenjun needed and more. He enjoyed spending time with Zhengting as well as having the ability to focus on his work without much distraction. On occasion, he did bring one of the other three with him, though their conversations tended to lead towards more gossip. On this particular afternoon, Wenjun had opted to bring Quanzhe with him, as a bit of a destresser from school. As of late, the younger had been complaining about being a tutor for one of his classmates, but the order was from a teacher who was hard to go against.

They sat by the bar, Quanzhe sipping on an extra sweet hot chocolate while Wenjun was trying a new latte Zhengting was experimenting with. As if it were a twist of fate, the boy he was tutoring was none other than Justin, who had skipped a year to end up in the same grade as the blond, but was struggling slightly to keep up. 

Wenjun could tell Zhengting was trying not to look too apparent on listening in on their conversation, but his occasional glance over was enough to see he wanted to know how Justin was doing. Unaware of the stare, Quanzhe continued to complain to Wenjun over the hot chocolate. In general, Li Quanzhe was a quiet child who kept to himself and preferred to study in silence, but it seemed the loud and rambunctious Justin had ruined any of the silent concentration he needed. Wenjun caught sight of Zhengting chuckling almost in a way that said “you can’t help that.'' 

The taller just nodded and allowed Quanzhe to go on until the younger was satisfied with his venting session. Once finished, Quanzhe leaned over onto Wenjun, a classic pout on his face. “Besides, I haven’t even heard you rehearse at all lately! Do you know how sad that is?”

“Well, it’s not my fault you get back to the house too late to hear it,” Wenjun countered, softly ruffling Quanzhe’s hair. The blond merely puffed his cheeks out, still not looking content with the answer.

“That and you spend so much time here! Zhengting, did you even know Wenjun is gonna be in a concert soon? I bet he didn’t even tell you!” Quanzhe lamented, turning his attention towards the unassuming cafe owner. The thin brunette looked over in shock, not expecting to be drawn into the conversation.

“I mean, it hasn’t even come up in conversation before…” Zhengting said softly, tilting his head slightly. “What kind of concert is it?”

“He’s in his college’s choir! Or is it considered chorus? Either way, he’s like their star singer! Not only that, but he has perfect pitch, so he can match the pitch of nearly anything with his voice and he even got an award for his compositions once and-” Quanzhe was stopped short by Wenjun’s hand clasping over his mouth, the usually mild mannered student now taking a deep shade of pink to his cheeks.

“J-Just ignore him! I just have good hearing, that’s all…” Wenjun’s hand soon left the younger’s mouth, who had taken this chance to take in a deep breath and send a small glare in the older’s direction.

Zhengting merely chuckled, enjoying the brother-like vibe between the two of them. It reminded him of what it was like with Justin, even if the air between them as of late had been tense. “If you don’t mind then, can you tell me the date? I’d love to watch you perform.”

Everything in Wenjun seemed to stop functioning. Zhengting was asking to come to his show? Though the taller had tried to ignore it, coming to the cafe daily was more than just wanting to enjoy the peace and quiet it brought, but also the view of Zhengting. The gentle worker was a pleasure to watch and Wenjun had begun to develop a crush beyond just the sound of his voice. Yet, he kept this to himself because he knew the older man had a boyfriend, so there was no chance Wenjun could even begin courting. Besides, he wasn’t good at that kind of stuff anyway. His nerves always got the best of him.

Taking his moment of silence as agreement, Quanzhe had hopped over to the seat on the other side of Wenjun and began to pull up the information about the concert on his phone, showing Zhengting the time, location, and the prices of the tickets. Soon enough, Zhengting had all the information he needed and thanked the younger boy, promising Wenjun he would try his best to make it.

In a not-so-smooth way to save his cheeks from turning even redder due to the turn of events, Wenjun slapped down a bill on the table that he knew was enough to cover their drinks and dragged Quanzhe out of the cafe with a flustered farewell. The younger couldn’t help but laugh at Wenjun’s panicked expression, enjoying it greatly.

“You like him! You totally like him!” Quanzhe jeered, laughing even louder. “I’m telling Xinchun and Zeren!” And Wenjun could only groan because he knew that no matter what he threatened the younger with, Quanzhe was going to tell.

*

That night when Zhengting and Justin sat down for dinner, it was hard for the younger to not notice the positive mood in the older. “Something good happen today?”

“Hmmm? Why would you say that?” Zhengting hummed in response, absently picking at his food. His mind was still light on the conversation from earlier, chuckling to himself as he recalled the red face of Wenjun when his friend outed him for his performance.

“You just seem… Different today.” Justin leaned forward, a large grin on his face. “Do I daresay… You’re happy?”

Zhengting merely huffed, fixing the younger with a glare. “What are you talking about? I’m always happy!”

“But never _ this _ happy!”

Zhengting opened his mouth to respond, before realizing he couldn’t come up with anything. Justin was right. He always thought he was content with his life, but now, somehow, Zhengting had felt lighter than he had in days. Shaking his head, Zhengting continued on, ignoring Justin’s prodding. He tactifully filled his mouth with food whenever the high schooler had come up with another question regarding his caretaker’s mood, shutting down any more questions.

“Anyway, you’re going to have to find dinner outside on Friday. I’m going to be going out, so I won’t be able to cook.” Justin’s face fell immediately, almost turning into an expression of pure disgust.

“Why? Are you going on a date with _ him _?” He snarled, his distaste for Xukun as strong as ever. The older merely shook his head, patting Justin on the shoulder before collecting his dishes to clean.

“No, actually. I’m going to watch a friend at a concert.” With that, Zhengting couldn’t help the small smile that tugged at his lips, recalling the handsome college student once more. “Well, now that I think about it,” Zhengting fixed an icy stare onto Justin. “He just so happens to be a friend of that tutor of yours… The one who you seem to be giving trouble to lately?” Justin merely swallowed as his eyes went wide, mentally preparing himself for a lecture he was sure to get.

*

The next day, Quanzhe was shocked to see Justin walking over to his seat first thing in the morning. As of late, the younger refused to interact with his tutor unless absolutely necessary, not that Quanzhe truly minded. He felt better keeping to himself than interacting with his peers. In fact, it was mildly intimidating when Justin slammed his hands on Quanzhe’s desk, ordered the blond to “meet with him at lunch” before going back out into the hallway where Chengcheng was waiting.

Qian Zhenghao, one of the few classmates who Quanzhe did speak with on occasion, turned around in his seat after Justin left, a look of concern on his face. “What’d you do to get that kind of summon?”

Quanzhe shrugged, still in his own mild state of shock. “I-I couldn’t tell you…” He said softly, eyes still fixed on where Justin had walked out.

Did Zhengting say something to Justin? Did perchance he know it was Quanzhe who slipped and complained about Justin’s behavior and in return the cafe owner scolded him? The thoughts ran through Quanzhe’s head during the first hour of classes, followed by the various ways the stronger boy could beat him up or, even worse, leave him for dead.

By the time midday had come and it was time for lunch, Quanzhe was nervous to say the least. On most days, he forewent the cafeteria and chose a secluded nook in the back of the library to review his morning’s notes, munching on whatever food he had packed for himself. But now, he felt like he didn’t even want to think about eating, nevermind having lunch period even begin.

Though, much to the blond’s dismay, the bell rang and there was a murmur of relief throughout the classroom. Gathering as much of his belongings as he could, Quanzhe tried his best to make his way out into the hallway until he heard his name be called. Justin was rapidly closing the distance between them, though Quanzhe tried his best to make his way down to the library before anything happened.

Soon enough, the blond felt a hand yank back on his shoulder, slamming him against the wall. His mess of notes scattered at his feet while the rest of the pile was haphazardly held in his arms. Any nearby students scurried by, but cast curious glances towards the scene. Quanzhe was pinned on the wall, one of Justin’s arms blocking him from moving. He was slightly shorter than the younger boy, causing him to glance up through his bangs to make eye contact with Justin.

“I thought I told you we needed to talk,” Justin said, narrowing his eyes. “Why’d you run away?”

Quanzhe swallowed nervously, clutching his books tighter to his chest. “I-I go to the library every lunch break, so I thought we could meet there…”

  
Justin paused for a moment, before nodding, stepping back from Quanzhe. “Fine. We can talk there.” He began to head towards the library, but when Quanzhe didn’t follow, he looked over his shoulder. “Aren’t you coming?”

The blond paused before nodding, quickly moving to catch up with Justin and follow him down to the library after picking up his scattered papers. They walked in silence, earning glances from the kids who milled around in the hallways during lunch. The pair was rather unlikely, as Justin was seen as the outgoing popular student who always had a small group of equally loud and popular people around him while Quanzhe was silent and cold, but intelligent, often being the top ranked student of the year, but around nearly no one most of the time. Having two polar opposites together certainly called the attention and whispers of many, much to Quanzhe’s dismay.

Though, he immediately began to brighten as they entered the library. Speeding past Justin, he went towards his usual table by the corner of the room. Centered behind the history section was a table just big enough for two people. It was near the window wall that took up most of the library, allowing natural light to flood in from the outside. From sunny to rainy days, Quanzhe always felt most at ease here.

Taking a seat on one side of the table, he paused before gesturing to the other open seat for Justin to sit in. With a small expression of awe on his face, Justin took the seat and looked around, not saying. They sat like that for a few moments, Quanzhe’s nerves building with each second that passed until Justin finally spoke.

“I didn’t even know this existed...”

“What? This seat or the library?” Quanzhe said with a small snort before covering his mouth, expecting some snarky remark, but instead, he watched as Justin… laughed?

“No, I knew the library existed I just… Didn’t know this existed.” He gestured to the area around them, devoid of students. “I can see why you come here.”

Quanzhe merely nodded, looking down at his lunch bag and notes. Was this really the same kid who only ever knew how to poke fun at him and shout along with his friends? This Justin felt completely different from the one he usually saw.

“Actually, I have a really important question to ask you…” Justin took his phone out of his pocket and swiped through it, looking for something. Soon enough, he had pulled up a picture of what seemed to be a flyer. On it was the information regarding Wenjun’s upcoming performance, as well as a picture of him and the rest of his choir on the bottom. Judging from Justin’s picture, it looked as if it were being hung up somewhere. He pointed to where Wenjun was in the picture, looking serious. “Who is he?”

Quanzhe blinked, not at all expecting the conversation to go in this direction. “Excuse me?”

Justin groaned. “You were there with him that day! In the rain, right? Who is he?”

Quanzhe sat back in his seat, narrowing his eyes. “Why do you need to know?”

“Ugh, just tell me!” Justin slammed a hand down on the table, making Quanzhe jump and eye him warily. Letting out another groan, Justin dropped his head down to the table. “Okay, I’ll explain then. This guy has been coming to the cafe I live in often and the guy who runs the cafe, Zhengting, is my guardian. He has a shitty ass boyfriend who beats him and he’s never happy anymore, but the other night, he was the happiest he’s been in ages and then the next day he posted this on the window of the shop and even marked the date on the calendar. So I’m thinking it’s probably this guy, your friend, making him feel like this.” Justin emphasized this by pointing to where Wenjun was on the poster once more.

Quanzhe blinked slowly again, trying to take in all the information at once. He knew Zhengting and he knew Zhengting had a boyfriend, but what he didn’t know what that said boyfriend was the cause behind the cafe owner’s weird injuries, as well as the fact that Zhengting probably also had as much of a crush on Wenjun as Wenjun had on him. After sorting through the information, Quanzhe couldn’t help but laugh quietly, grinning up at Justin.

“That is Bi Wenjun. He’s been my neighbor basically my whole life and he has a huge ass crush on your guardian.” Now it was Justin’s turn to look dumbfounded. It didn’t take long for a grin to grow on the younger’s face, his eyes lighting up.

“For real!? In that case, this might go easier than I thought!”

“What will be easier?” Quanzhe tilted his head, leaning forward to listen closely.

“Well, I was thinking that if we could get him break up with that asshole boyfriend of his, Zhengting could maybe go out with this Wenjun guy! Like, he seems like he’s way better,” Justin said, sharing a growing grin with Quanzhe, who nodded in agreement.

“Let me know if there’s anything I can help with!” The blond said, putting one hand out. Justin glanced at it for a moment before grasping it with a nod.

“Friday will be our first step.”

*

As it turned out, the night before the performance was also the most stressful. He hadn’t had time to visit Zhengting since that Sunday and the lack of caffeine was finally starting to wear away at whatever remaining shred of humanity Wenjun had in him. After vehemently denying it was the lack of visiting the cafe owner, as Xinchun had playfully suggested, Wenjun made his way down the familiar path towards Winter Light cafe.

It was later than normal, having just gotten out of their final dress rehearsal before the concert. Typically, Wenjun would just head straight home, but pulling up to the cafe on his bike felt like the better option. Walking in, he was fairly surprised by the number of people that filled the small cafe. Many of the tables were filled with chattering groups of people and even the bar had a decent chunk of people by it. Spotting an open seat the by the end, Wenjun slid into it.

At first glance, Zhengting wasn’t even visible among the people present, but it didn’t take long for him to poke his head out from the kitchen, spotting Wenjun almost immediately. He said something to whoever he was back there with before walking up to the college student, expression glowing.

“Wenjun, welcome! Isn’t it a bit late for you to be here?” Zhengting’s question wasn’t accusatory, but instead one made from concern. The taller merely shook his head, smiling softly.

“I got out of the final rehearsal and had a craving for your coffee. Though, I didn’t expect it to be so crowded in here…” He glanced around at the sheer amount of people, spotting Justin among the tables, checking in on the various patrons. The friend he was with on that rainy day, Chengcheng, was there as well, being the one who popped out from the kitchen after Zhengting. The playful banter between the two of them like a comedy duo, even getting the guests involved in their play squabbles. The guests seemed to enjoy it, laughing and going along with the boys.

“Ah, I’ll whip one up for you quickly! Give me just a moment,” Zhengting said before getting to work further down the bar, chatting away with one of the other guests who sat there. Wenjun merely watched him with a grin on his face, enjoying the little expressions the cafe owner made as he brewed and talked.

Back on the floor, Chengcheng and Justin had taken a small break, standing by the stairs, which were roped off from customers entering. The younger nudged his friend, pointing Wenjun out on the bar.

“That’s him, that Bi Wenjun guy I was telling you about,” Justin whispered. Though, it was more like normal volume speaking for most people as he always seem to be set on loud. Chengcheng looked at him for a moment, tilting his head in thought.

“Bi… I think I heard that name before…” Chengcheng rested one hand on the rail of the stairs, fingers tapping out a melody. Justin had come to pick up on the fact the older does this while thinking, most likely from years of taking piano lessons. 

As if on cue, the mentioned college student cocked his head to one side before turning to fix a stare on Chengcheng, his eyes moving down to where the boy was moving his fingers. Though, before Wenjun could move, Zhengting had brought over the coffee and began to talk with Wenjun, the two of them both speaking with small smiles and cheeks dusted with pink.

Chengcheng snapped his fingers, expression lighting up. “I remember now! There’s a famous musician couple with the family name Bi! I think they’re known as composers, mostly, but I don’t know about any kid.”

Justin merely shrugged, attention fading as he was called over to a table, grabbing cups to refill. He walked past Zhengting and Wenjun, eyeing them before a smile came over his face. Going over to refill the glasses with juice from the fridge, the high schooler ‘just so happened’ to unplug the radio from where it connected to the speakers, causing the soft music that usually plays in the cafe to come to a stop.

Walking back out, Justin called out to Chengcheng and whispered his plan in the other’s ear. A smile grew on the older’s face, nodding in acknowledgement. They continued to serve the tables and work around the busy cafe, keeping a careful eye on Wenjun, who was sipping through his coffee, and Zhengting who went between the bar and kitchen.

At one point, when Chengcheng had been depositing dishes that needed to be cleaned, he stopped by Zhengting who was filling the dishwasher. “Hey, Zhengting, I think something’s wrong with the radio. There hasn’t been anything playing for a while now. Just wanted to let you know!”

Left staring in confusion, Zhengting watched as the older high schooler went back out onto the floor, immediately shouting something in Justin’s direction. Quickly, Zhengting went over to examine the radio, finding nothing wrong with it. It was still playing music at a low volume on it’s own, but wasn’t playing in the cafe. The owner frowned, not knowing exactly how to remedy it.

“Cheng said you needed my help?” Justin popped into the kitchen, walking over to where Zhengting was located. The older let out a huff of annoyance, placing his hands on his hips.

“Yeah, I can’t seem to get this going. Can you take a look at it?” Zhengting stepped back to let Justin examine it, the high schooler nodding and muttering something to himself.

“I can probably fix this, but it might take a bit, so I don’t know what you want to do about music…” Justin’s face lit up after thinking for a moment. “Ah, why don’t you ask that friend of yours to do a live house? I’m sure the customers would appreciate it!”  
  
Zhengting stared at Justin in shock, standing by the entrance of the kitchen. “I-I can’t do that! Minghao, just fix the radio!”

Chengcheng had come over just as Zhengting turned around, holding up a small piece of paper. On it had orders for a new set a drinks, which Zhengting went to work on immediately. He stood behind the bar, focusing on the various beverages before he noticed Wenjun staring at him.

“What?”  
  
“What do you mean ‘what’?”

Zhengting crinkled his nose, placing his hands on his hips. “You’re staring at me like I have something on my face!”

Wenjun chuckled, holding up the coffee cup and taking a sip. “I mean, you have an annoyed look on your face, so maybe it’s that?”

Zhengting sighed, placing down the cup for a moment. “The radio in the back broke and Justin suggested something dumb to do while he tries to fix it. But you don’t need to worry about it.”

Wenjun took another sip out of his mug, raising one eyebrow. “Does it possibly have to do with me?”  
  
The older’s male face turned a deep red as he spluttered, nearly spilling the drink he was making. Wenjun merely laughed good naturedly, smiling once Zhengting composed himself with a cough. “H-His idea did! I don’t want to push you or anything, though! I know you have your performance and everything tomorrow night and...” By the time the cafe owner finished racing thoughts, he slowed down enough to see the playfully amused expression on the college student’s face.

“Zhengting, you’ve done so much for me, I don’t mind helping,” Wenjun said, placing one hand over Zhengting’s, which was placed on the counter after he finished the drink. He paused like that before drawing his hand away, laughing awkwardly. “S-sorry, I didn’t mean to sound so forward.”

“No, it’s fine! Don’t worry about it…” They both stayed like that for a moment before Chengcheng called out from the floor, asking for the drinks. Zhengting nodded in response as he quickly took them over to the designated table, apologizing to the couple who were sat there. Meanwhile, Justin popped out of the kitchen, scampering over to where Wenjun was sitting and squatting until his chin was resting on the bar.

“So… Do you wanna do a live house for us? It should only be a song or two! I’ll get the radio fixed as soon as I can!” Justin said, putting on an extra big smile for added effect. Wenjun merely rolled his eyes, pulling his phone out and sending off a quick text.

“Despite the fact that you were the one who pulled the plug on it?” He mused, watching Justin’s face morph into absolute fear, eyes going wide. “If you’re planning on doing things in the future, try to watch how loudly you discuss them.”

Justin stood up as Zhengting walked back over and shooed the young boy away, telling him to go out and clean the dishes of some guests who finished. “Sorry if he was bothering you… You don’t have to do it if you don’t want to,” the cafe owner added quickly before heading down the bar to the register in order to take someone’s payment.

The college student merely shook his head and finished his coffee, leaving a bill under it before motioning for Justin to come over. Their heads dipped close together as they became involved deep in conversation, the younger’s expression lighting up. He nodded eagerly before going to find Chengcheng, who was in the middle of delivering an order to a table. Justin eagerly whispered whatever plans there were to Chengcheng before being hailed by a table. He gave the older a kiss on the cheek before disappearing on to the floor, joyfully taking customer orders.

Now, it was Chengcheng’s turn to approach Wenjun, who had that ever-calm expression on his face. As the high schooler approached, he felt two things. One was the feeling of being quite short in comparison to the college student, who had a good few inches on him. The second was the air of tranquility, which despite the cafe being tucked into a busy Thursday night, felt comforting. 

“You’re doing the live house, yeah?” Chengcheng inquired as he approached Wenjun, sticking out a hand, which the other returned with a shake and nod. “Then come with me,”

Watching Zhengting cashing out a few more customers, Chengcheng led Wenjun to the corner of the store by the window where there appeared to be a small stage. A microphone and speakers were stacked neatly to the side, wires tucked in front of them. Quickly, the two went to work setting up the small space, attaching the wires to the appropriate sockets while Justin kept Zhengting busy with new orders and checks.

Right when they were close to finishing the set up, there was a jingle from the door. Wenjun looked over before waving happily, trying to get Zeren’s attention. Soon enough, the younger boy noticed, skidding past the tables and arriving in Wenjun’s corner and setting down the guitar he was carrying.

“You caught me at a good time, bro! I just got out of lessons,” Zeren said, flicking open the clasps on his case and taking out his guitar that was nestled inside and slipping the strap over his shoulder. “Oddly enough, they were right down the street. Did you know that?”

Wenjun merely shrugged, attaching a cord from the speaker to the bottom of the acoustic guitar. “I had an idea. I noticed your studio when I bike here on occasion. And you always have lessons on Thursdays with Nina, so it only made sense that I would call you over.”

“Yeah, thanks for that! I always wanted to do a live house!” The shorter tugged on his bandana that was situated around his forehead before sitting down on a stool and strumming his guitar a few times, listening to the replay on the speaker. “Am I on key?” He asked with a playful smile towards Wenjun.

The older shrugged, tightening one of the tuning pegs and loosening another. “This should be good enough for tonight,” Wenjun managed before hearing the slightly embarrassed tone of Zhengting, shouting at Justin before rushing over to where everyone else was.

“Wenjun, I told you that you didn’t have to do this!” Zhengting said, looking towards Zeren who merely waved with a smile on his face. “Justin’s just being over the top and-”

This time, Wenjun placed a soft hand over Zhengting’s mouth, looking into the other’s eyes. As usual, his lips were pulled into that familiar smile, but his eyes twinkled with something else, though the cafe owner couldn’t exactly put his finger on it. “It’s fine, Zhengting. I don’t mind, really.” He removed his hand and the older let out a defeated sigh, running a hand through his hair while the other was placed on his hip. 

“If you’re really okay with it… I guess it’s fine then.” Zhengting moved to take something out of the pocket of his apron, handing a bill back to Wenjun. “And you really need to stop overpaying for your drinks. This one is on the house tonight!” With a wink, Zhengting went back to the kitchen.

After a few more checks, the prep was done. The seats that had been emptied were now full with new patrons, most of them girls from Wenjun’s university. He noticed them snapping an occasional picture, but tried to block it out as much as he could, taking a deep breath, he turned towards Zeren, who was grinning down at his phone before sliding it down in his pocket.

“Ready?”

Zeren nodded in confirmation before turning back towards his guitar and focusing on it, though his eyes darted towards the door while he waited for Wenjun to start. But, before the older could say anything, Justin bounded up to the stage while Zhengting was busy, continuing to work behind the counter. Chengcheng had all but disappeared, but the lowering intensity of the house lights and sudden flicking of twinkle lights around the perimeter of the cafe showed the boy was busy at work behind the scenes.

Soon enough, Justin was behind the microphone, waving at the sea of guests. “Attention guests of our little cafe! Tonight, we have a special live house for you! From our local university, we have the talented Bi Wenjun singing alongside…” Justin paused, looking questioningly over at Zeren before nodding. “Ding Zeren on guitar! Tonight they’re gonna perform for everyone here! Chengcheng and I will still be taking orders, so please just turn the fake candle on at your table if you need anything. Without further ado, Bi Wenjun and Ding Zeren!”

There was a ripple of applause throughout the cafe as Justin stepped off the small stage and fiddled with a camera that was situated by the bar before standing off to the side, standing close to Chengcheng. Wenjung bowed slightly as he took up his position back up in front of the microphone. He noticed Zeren next to him perk up slightly as the door’s bell jingled, signaling a new guest. The older relaxed slightly, knowing that Zeren would most likely be on his best mindset now.

“Good evening. As Justin said, I’m Wenjun and I’m here with Zeren. Tonight, we’ll be performing the song ‘Could I Love You Anymore’. I hope you will enjoy it.”

With that, they exchanged a glance and Zeren counted softly before he began to strum softly on the guitar, a soft expression on his face. Alongside it, Wenjun hummed into the microphone, holding it with both hands and eyes shut. When he began to sing, he naturally let them rest on Zhengting, who was leaning against the back wall, looking back at Wenjun.

“Full moon, bedroom, stars in your eyes. Last night, the first time that I realized the glow between us felt so right. We sat on the edge of the bed and you said,” Zeren chimed in for the next part, leaning towards his own microphone while continuing to play his guitar. “"I never knew that I could feel this way". Love today can be so difficult, but what we have I know is different 'cause when I'm with you the world stops turning…”

Together, they went into the chorus, meeting each other note for note. A hushed silence had covered the whole cafe, every guest’s attention focused on the duo on the stage. “Could I love you any more? Could I love you any more? Could I love you any more?”

For the next verse, Zeren had started to sing on his own, a grin tugging at his lips as he easily found Yanchen in the crowd, who had come in right before they began. “Sunrise, time flies, feels like a dream. Being close, inhaling, hard to believe…” Wenjun stepped towards his microphone and joined again, his gaze once more landing on Zhengting, who was shyly looking back from rosy cheeks and a small wave. “Seven billion people in the world, finding you is like a miracle. Only this wonder remains…

“Could I love you any more? Could I love you any more? Could I love you any more?” As the chorus rang over the speakers, guests had risen the fake candles on their tables and turned them on, not to grab the attention of the waiters (both of whom were now cuddled into a sweet embrace), but instead to wave them alongside the performers their gentle glow adding to the atmosphere of the little cafe.

The next part was sung by Wenjun, Zeren pulling away from his microphone and adding his own voice in much quieter as an accompaniment to Wenjun’s before rejoining the older for the chorus. “Softly, slowly, love unfolding. Could this love be true?

“Could I love you any more? Could I love you any more? Could I love you any more?” Wenjun went on to sing the chorus by himself, with Zeren adding his own line after every question, their voices overlapping and creating a soft harmony. “Could I love you any more? (Question's rhetorical) Could I love you any more? (Oh, this feels phenomenal) Could I love you any more? (Love is all there is) Could I love you any more? (It's inexhaustible) Could I love you any more? (Oh, love is unstoppable) Could I love you any more? (Love is all there is)”

Wenjun went through the next verse, Zeren humming softly in the background before joining in with Wenjun for the ending. "Softly, slowly, love unfolding. Could this love be true? Could this love be true?”

For the last part, Zeren stopped his playing and bowed his head as Wenjun recited the chorus one last time before playing a concluding chord once the older student finished. “Could I love you any more? Could I love you any more? Could I love you any more?”

There was a stunned silence over the crowd as the duo finished, only for it to be broken by an excited clapping and cheering from Yanchen, who was standing by the bar alongside a few others who stopped in to check on the commotion. This seemed like what the rest of the crowd needed before they began to cheer as well, an applause sweeping across the floor for the two boys. It didn’t take much longer for Zeren’s boyfriend to weave his way between the multiple tables and collect the shorter boy in his arms, smothering his face with kisses. Zeren tried to push Yanchen off him with a laugh, checking to make sure his guitar had no damage on it before playfully punching the taller. Wenjun watched from the side with an amused smile on his face before he felt a familiar presence at his side.

“You’re really good, you know,” Zhengting said, smiling up at the college student. Wenjun, though he heard the comment a million times before, couldn’t help but blush and hide his face and mutter a soft thank you in response. The cafe owner merely laughed softly as the lights were turned back to normal and slipped a hand into Wenjun’s idle one that hung by his side. “Also, I can’t wait to see you tomorrow…” As soon as it had happened, the warmth in Wenjun’s hand slipped away as Zhengting left and the normal music had been turned on once more.

*

Zhengting checked himself in the mirror for what seemed like the millionth time that evening. On the table was a bouquet of flowers he planned on handing to Wenjun after the performance and he wanted to look at least mildly presentable. After adjusting his hair once more, Zhengting promised himself we would stop checking. Instead, he walked into the living area where Justin was putting his coat and shoes on.

“Minghao, where are you going tonight?”

Justin groaned at the sound of his given name, turning towards Zhengting. “I’m meeting up with my tutor to get some extra studying in. We have a pretty big exam coming up and I don’t want to get anything lower than a 95 on it,” he explained, lugging his backpack over one shoulder. “I’ll be heading over to Chengcheng’s after, so I won’t be back until the morning. See ya!”

With that, Justin rushed down the stairs and out the front door, the bell tinkling in his wake. With a roll of his eyes, Zhengting went back into the small bathroom one more time to check his makeup, making sure everything was perfect before he heard the bell jingle once more.

“Justin? Did you forget something?” Zhengting called, trying to get a piece of hair to settle down into place. He paused, not hearing a response from the younger boy. He stopped, looking out the door of the bathroom. “Justin?”

After not hearing the boy’s usually cheerful voice, the older poked his head out of the bathroom to be greeted with the sight of his boyfriend in front of the large bouquet. Zhengting froze in his tracks, voice failing him.

“Are these for him?” The voice wasn’t the warm and welcoming one Zhengting was used to. As of late, it had begun to take a slight edge to it, but this tone was completely icy, freezing Zhengting over.

“F-For who?” The brunette finally asked, stepping out into the room.

“For that kid who comes in all the time. Don’t play dumb, I see the camera footage.” Zhengting flinched, knowing better than to make his boyfriend mad. Instead, he went meek, slightly afraid of the glint in his eyes.

“H-He’s just a friend, Kunkun… I was going to support him and-”  
  
Xukun rounded on Zhengting before he could even finish his sentence. There was a familiar sting of a slap on his cheek. Though, Zhengting stood his ground, stumbling against the strong slap only slightly. “Tell me, do you love him?”

“There’s no new boyfriend! Kun, just-” Zhengting was cut off once he felt another slap on his cheek, tasting blood from where the rings had hit particularly hard and caused his teeth to cut the inside of his cheek.

“Save it, Zhu. I always knew you couldn’t be satisfied with just one dick,” Xukun went over and grabbed Zhengting by the collar of his shirt, yanking him up off the ground and pulling their faces close together. “It’s all too easy for you to forget who saved you, isn’t it? I leave for a couple of days and you pull this shit?” He threw Zhengting back onto the ground, the brunette hitting his head against the wall and seeing stars float around his vision.

“What? Can’t even defend yourself?” A kick to the stomach. “Or is it because it’s all true, you can’t deny it?” Another to the side of the head. Zhengting felt his body slump over onto the ground, protesting in pain when he tried to get up. “Fine then. Looks like I’m just going to have to teach you a lesson after all.”

*

The performance went off without a hitch. Wenjun, despite his initial nerves, had performed wonderfully, at least according to their conductor. While he was on stage, he had fruitlessly searched the crowd for even a glimpse of Zhengting, but no matter how hard he tried, he couldn’t find the cafe owner. 

He found the familiar faces of Zeren, who brought Yanchen with him, and Xinchun, both in the third row back as usual, but this time without Quanzhe there. The younger had informed them that Justin had requested an extra tutoring session and couldn’t make the show, but somehow Wenjun found the whole thing suspicious. Beyond that, the rest of the crowd was full of strangers he didn’t particularly care about.

Even after the show, Wenjun tried his best to use his height to his advantage and fish out the cafe owner from the crowd, but to no avail. Didn’t Zhengting say he was coming? Wenjun sighed, feeling a pat on his back. He looked over to see Xinchun standing on one side and Zeren with Yanchen standing on the other.

“Got ditched, huh?” Xinchun asked, raising one eyebrow. “Sorry for you there.”

Wenjun merely shrugged, trying to not look as heartbroken as he really felt. “I mean, I kind of saw it coming… He’s not single after all.”

Yanchen frowned, moving to walk in front of Wenjun. “Well, let’s not think about that! How about a celebration dinner?”

“Ugh, with you two? Count me out!” Xinchun teased, sticking his tongue out. This began a bickering competition between him and Zeren, both of them trying to say who is worse to eat with. Wenjun zoned out, just trying to make his way out the door when he saw two familiar faces push their way through the crowd.

Quanzhe was leading the way, his blond head bobbing through the crowd as he pulled another person behind him. Wenjun quickly recognized Justin, the boy who was supposedly the one who asked for the extra tutoring session. Alarmed by their presence and worried expressions, Wenjun mumbled an apology to the three before he met the two high schoolers in the middle of the crowd. 

“Wenjun!” Quanzhe cried first, tripping as he fell into the older’s arms. Wenjun supported him, noting with shock at how cold Quanzhe was. “Wenjun, I think something bad happened!”

“What do you mean something bad? Why is Justin here with you?” Wenjun looked at the other boy who had caught up, looking equally as chilly as Quanzhe did with flushed cheeks and red nose.

“W-We were gonna set up you and Zhengting, but Zhengting never came! I knew he was getting ready for it, but we never saw him come in the entrance. I tried calling both his cell and the cafe and neither one picked up!” Justin rushed through his words, panting as he finally finished.

A million scenarios went through Wenjun’s head as he listened to the two boys. They both seemed genuinely worried for Zhengting and something about their story didn’t sit right with Wenjun. If Zhengting was so excited to come, why would he all of a sudden decide not to?

Looking around, Wenjun found what looked to be a mostly empty hallway across the foyer and began to guide the small group towards it. “Calm down and come with me. We can talk about it over there.” Muttering multiple ‘excuse me’s past people, Wenjun eventually managed to squeeze his way past the crowd and into the secluded hall, which only had a few passerbys lurking in it.

Placing his hands on Justin’s shoulders, the oldest kept a serious expression on his face. “Okay, now calm down. Tell me exactly what’s going on.”

Sharing a glance with Quanzhe, Justin swallowed before starting his explanation. “See, Quanzhe and I both thought that if you and Zhengting got together, it’d be really nice, so we had this whole thing planned out that we would get the two of you alone somehow tonight. We were waiting outside to possibly corner Zhengting when he got in, but we waited a really long time and he never went by us once. And I know he couldn’t have gotten here before me because he was getting ready when I left! And when he wants to impression someone, he takes a million years to get ready!  
  
“So, we thought he was running late and waited outside the whole show, but he never showed up! So, I called his cell to see if maybe he had gotten tied up in something and he didn’t answer, so then I tried calling the cafe and no one answered there either!”

“But it was weird when we called the cafe,” Quanzhe interjected, allowing Justin to take a break. He looked thankful as he collapsed into a nearby chair, tugging his jacket around himself. “It was ringing, but the ring stopped part way through… So, I think something might have happened. Someone had to have stopped it manually, and they couldn’t have done it by picking up the phone either because the line never picked up.” He paused, glancing towards Justin. “What kind of phone does the cafe have?”

Baffled by the question, the younger scrunched his face slightly, trying to think. “It’s an older phone… We only have the one downstairs though, none upstairs. Oh, it’s one of the ones you have to pick up to answer though! Like, it’s attached to the wall, so there isn’t like a button to press to pick it up or anything.”

“Which means that someone had to have unplugged it or something,” Quanzhe said with a nod.

“Regardless of what happened, hypothesizing about what happened is worthless,” Yanchen said from beside Zeren, looking serious. It seems as though the other three had appeared partway through the conversation, listening intensely. “Justin why don’t you come on my motorcycle with me and we can get there quicker. The rest can go with Wenjun in his car.”

Justin shook his head, nudging Wenjun forward. “Take Wenjun with you! I’m sure he’d be better to deal with it. And he probably can give you directions better than I can...”

Quanzhe couldn’t help but chuckle at Justin, the younger harshly whispering something to the blond before he stopped laughing. “Besides, Xinchun can just drive your car! Just get going! We can meet you there!” Quanzhe and Justin get behind Yanchen and Wenjun, respectively, and pushed them towards the main doors.

If it’s hard to go against one high schooler, two was even worse as neither of them looked like they were about to give in. With a sigh, Yanchen began to move his way through the crowd, Wenjun behind him and the rest of the group milling a few paces behind them. The taller could hear the conductor call out to him, but right now Wenjun didn’t care who he should have met at that moment. There was someone who needed him more.

Yanchen’s motorcycle wasn’t parked that far from the entrance, two helmets sitting on the seat. He had driven Zeren into the performance, but now the shorter was heading into the car with the others. Hopping into the driver’s seat, Yanchen glanced back at Wenjun who slid onto the back seat.

“Ready?” Wenjun only nodded in response to the question, gripping onto the sides of the seat to balance himself. With that, Yanchen started the engine before tearing off into the night, in the direction of where the cafe was with Wenjun trying to shout directions over the sound of the engine and wind.

Wenjun had only ridden with Yanchen a few times prior, and if he were being honest, the whole being in a vehicle without walls terrified him and Yanchen’s particularly wild driving style didn’t help calm his nerves any. Though, as wild as it was, it was effective in getting to places much quicker than a car. Weaving in and out of traffic and cutting corners allowed for them to cut down on much of the time that it would take a car to go. In fact, they had arrived at the cafe just in time to see a van driving off from the curb into the night.

Yanchen pulled over to the curb, stopping for just a moment. “Get off! I’ll see if I can go after them!” He shouted, jerking a chin towards the rapidly speeding van. Wenjun, who didn’t even have time to throw the helmet off nodded and stood in front of the cafe, listening as Yanchen went to chase down the van.

In all honesty, Wenjun’s first reaction should have been calling an emergency number, but his mind was running a million miles a minute. The front door was smashed in, glass covering the interior of the cafe. The tables and chairs had been flipped and thrown, some of them in a broken pile against the back wall. Even the usually pristine line of glasses behind the bar were shattered into oblivion, not a single one still standing. Glancing around, Wenjun found the one landline Justin had mentioned. It was at the end of the bar, situated on the wall closest to the register. The phone dangled from the cord that connected it to the receiver, smashed and in pieces.

Carefully picking his way through the mess, Wenjun made his way over to the stairs. “Zhengting?” He called, stepping onto the first one. “Are you up there?” When there was no response, Wenjun began to slowly climb up the stairs, pulling out his phone and dialing the emergency number. He didn’t press call just yet, anxious to find Zhengting first.

“Zheng-” Wenjun’s second attempt to call out for the cafe owner was cut short when he felt something collide with his head once he reached the top of the stairs. His phone flew out of his hand as the rest of Wenjun tumbled down the stairs, letting out a shocked scream. At the bottom, he could feel some of the glass shards from the broken vases digging into his skin, but it was at this point he was thankful for not taking Zeren’s helmet off. It tumbled off his head when he landed, but served its purpose well.

“Well, well, well, look who it is. Shouldn’t you be off schmoozing with some fancy music people or something?” Careful and slow steps made their way down the stairs, boots clicking against the wood.

Pushing himself up from a groan, Wenjun looked up to see someone walking down. He was tall and well built, holding himself in perfect posture, save for the bat that was slung across his shoulders. His face, if not twisted into a devilish grin, would have been handsome to most. Once he reached the bottom, the person snorted, looking unamused.

“A helmet? Who said you could come in with a helmet?” The man complained, swinging the bat to rest against his side.

“Where… Is Zhengting?” Wenjun managed through gritted teeth, pushing himself to stand.

“No introductions? Well, isn’t that quite rude of you, Mr. Bi! Thankfully, I already know who you are, but it’s time for me to introduce myself,” The man bowed graciously, one arm tucked under his torso and the other swinging the bat upwards. “I am Cai Xukun, Zhu Zhengting’s beloved boyfriend,” He finished, eyes glinting slightly.

Wenjun’s hands curled into fists, ready to punch this supposed boyfriend in the face. “And what would anyone who’s beloved be doing with a bat in their destroyed house!?”

Xukun clicked his tongue, frowning slightly. “Oh, poor Mr. Bi. You’ve been deceived by this man as well. Here, let me tell you the real tragedy known as Zhu Zhengting!” He ended the sentence with a swing of the bat, aiming for where Wenjun was standing. The taller saw the movement and jumped out the way the best he could, landing on one of the broken table. He felt the splintered wood drive into his skin, arm in pain almost immediately causing him to let out a low groan.

Though, Xukun didn’t seem bothered that he missed. Instead, he tapped the bat against one hand, slowly walking towards Wenjun. “This isn’t his shop at all. This is mine! If it weren’t for me, him and that damn brat he takes care of would still be hopping from place to place, probably sleeping with all kinds of men just for a scrap of bread!” He ended his sentence by rushing forwards, driving the tip of the bat forward as if it were a sword. This time, Wenjun wasn’t quite fast enough, the side of it just catching his ribs. Falling down to the ground, Wenjun glared up at Xukun, too winded to speak.

“He should hail me as his god! I give him money, I gave him this, I gave him everything! And what does he do after telling me for two years nearly daily that he loves me?” Boots crunching on the broken class, Xukun approached Wenjun who was on the ground, lifting his chin up with the bat. “He says he fell in love. For real this time. That bitch lied to me! FOR TWO YEARS! He never actually loved me! But here he is, falling in love with your lame ass!”

There was the sound of a car pulling up in front of the cafe as well as a voice from inside, but it all became a dull background noise to Wenjun as there was a cracking sound against his head. The world turned fuzzy for just a moment, the vision of people coming in through the door and a person racing down the stairs were the last images Wenjun saw before collapsing onto the floor, vision fading to black.

*

Zhengting sat there numbly as the emergency responders buzzed around the cafe. It was late at night, well past midnight at this point, and he was sitting on the front stoop. At some point, a blanket had been placed around his shoulders and Justin had cuddled up to his side. Neither of them spoke a word, but the comfort was nice.

Zhengting had yet to give his statement to the police, but was politely waiting his turn. Currently, one of Wenjun’s friends was being questioned, the others having followed Wenjun to the hospital in his car. He was there at the cafe the night before, but had left with Zeren before Zhengting could introduce himself. The shorter between them had spoken to the police and it was now Zeren’s boyfriend’s turn to speak. From what Zhengting had gathered from the various accounts and his own observations, his life had been destroyed in just one night.

_ It was nearly time to leave for the performance when Zhengting waited for Justin to reenter the room. After not hearing the boy’s usually cheerful voice, the older poked his head out of the bathroom to be greeted with the sight of his boyfriend in front of the large bouquet. Zhengting froze in his tracks, voice failing him. _

_ “Are these for him?” The voice wasn’t the warm and welcoming one Zhengting was used to. As of late, it had begun to take a slight edge to it, but this tone was completely icy, freezing Zhengting over. _

_ “F-For who?” The brunette finally asked, stepping out into the room. _

_ “For that kid who comes in all the time. Don’t play dumb, I see the camera footage.” Zhengting flinched, knowing better than to make his boyfriend mad. Instead, he went meek, slightly afraid of the glint in his eyes. _

_ “H-He’s just a friend, Kunkun… I was going to support him and-” _  
_  
_

_Xukun rounded on Zhengting before he could even finish his sentence. There was a familiar sting of a slap on his cheek. Though, Zhengting stood his ground, stumbling against the strong slap only slightly. “Tell me, do you love him?”_

_ “There’s no new boyfriend! Kun, just-” Zhengting was cut off once he felt another slap on his cheek, tasting blood from where the rings had hit particularly hard and caused his teeth to cut the inside of his cheek. _

_ “Save it, Zhu. I always knew you couldn’t be satisfied with just one dick,” Xukun went over and grabbed Zhengting by the collar of his shirt, yanking him up off the ground and pulling their faces close together. “It’s all too easy for you to forget who saved you, isn’t it? I leave for a couple of days and you pull this shit?” He threw Zhengting back onto the ground, the brunette hitting his head against the wall and seeing stars float around his vision. _

_ “What? Can’t even defend yourself?” A kick to the stomach. “Or is it because it’s all true, you can’t deny it?” Another to the side of the head. Zhengting felt his body slump over onto the ground, protesting in pain when he tried to get up. “Fine then. Looks like I’m just going to have to teach you a lesson after all.” _

_  
_“_W-what!? No, Kunkun, listen to me…”_

_ From somewhere downstairs, there was the sound of something shattering, but the ringing in Zhengting’s head drowned that out. Using the wall for support, Zhengting stood up, finally meeting Xukun’s eyes, which were similar to dark chips of ice. Seeing those cold, distant eyes, Zhengting realized something that he had been hiding from all along. Taking a deep breath, the older male responded. _

_ “Actually, you know what? I do love him. He doesn’t hit me, he doesn’t abandon me for untold amounts of time, he doesn’t have scandals with a million people behind my back. H-He’s kind and sweet and I-I do love him…” Zhengting squeezed his eyes shut, bracing himself for another hit, but the pain never came. _

_ Instead, the cafe owner was met with a flurry of flowers crashing into his face and his legs collapsing from underneath him. Soon enough, there was a weight on his back that prevented him from getting up. Zhengting couldn’t make out the mutters of Xukun, but with his head pressed down against the floor, he could hear what was happening downstairs a little better. The sound of tables being thrown and broken sent shivers down Zhengting’s spine. The phone rang in the distance and was promptly cut off with a distinct smashing sound. _

_ His arms were soon enough tied behind his back and a gag was tied in his mouth. Zhengting struggled against it, but he knew Xukun was stronger and heavier than him, so being able to break free was but a wish. The whole time, the idol seemed to be grumbling something, shaking his head as he pulled the bindings as tights as he could. _

_ “You think you can play with me like this… I give you a roof, I give you a cafe, I gave you anything you wanted, and this is how you repay me? By faking your love with me? You’re no better than someone selling themselves night after night!” Zhengting felt warm tears run down his face, heart slowly breaking as Xukun muttered insult after insult. Eventually, Zhengting felt hands close around his neck, just like that night only a few weeks earlier, but this time the intent was deadly._

_ The cafe owner wanted to scream that he loved the old Xukun. The one who would cuddle with him until morning and the one who would give him little surprises after a rough day. This Xukun, this cold hearted man, was not the same one Zhengting fell in love with. It’s the one he fell out of love with. _

A voice drew Zhengting from his thoughts. It was the short one, arms crossed across his chest and looking slightly annoyed. “If you’re up to it, the police would like your statement too. Yanchen gave as much as he could and until Wenjun wakes up, yours is the last one they need to have.”

Justin softly placed his hand on Zhengting’s side, frowning. “You know you can do this later, right?”

Zhengting brushed off the hand with a sad smile, getting up from where he was sitting. “I’m fine, Minghao. Besides, I think there’s someone for you,” the brunette jerked his chin towards the direction behind Justin. The younger looked around before perking up, his features glowing. 

“Chengcheng!” He stopped before looking back at his guardian. Zhengting merely nodded, watching the young boy dash into the embrace of the older. From his side, Zeren looked up.

“You know, you’re not as bad as I thought,” He said before walking away and back towards Yanchen, both of them speaking in hushed tones.

His statement didn’t take as long as Zhengting thought. He gave as much as he could remember, from the time Xukun entered until he was able to free himself from the bindings and use Wenjun’s discarded phone to contact the police. He was promised some more information about the future of his cafe, but for now it was to be closed and someone was placed there to make sure there were no further damages.

Zhengting nodded and walked back to where he saw Justin and Chengcheng now speaking with Zeren and Yanchen. Justin, who was slightly shaken from finding his home destroyed and caretaker still in a state of shock, we under the comforting arm of Chengcheng, trying to look strong. Zhengting had been with the boy long enough to know that it was all a mask, though he looked fairly natural.

Walking up, Zhengting motioned for Justin to come over to him. The younger trotted over, his expression melting into worry the second their eyes met. He enveloped Zhengting in the best hug that he could, letting out a small sigh.

“Minghao, go stay with Chengcheng for the night. They’re going to let us get some of our stuff from the house and then we can talk about what we’re going to do. I-I’m sorry if we have to move again…” Justin merely shook his head again, hugging Zhengting closer.

  
“It’s fine. We can do this together, Ting. Don’t worry,” Justin looked up with a forced smile before going back towards Chengcheng, quickly speaking with him before disappearing into the cafe. Zeren and Yanchen then approached Zhengting, the couple watching the younger duo as well.

“So, what’s your plan?” The shorter asked, fixing his attention back onto Zhengting. The cafe owner frowned, not expecting the question so soon.

“Well, I’m staying in a hotel room for the night. I’ll probably be back tomorrow to see the damage and what I can scavenge up… In all, I’ll probably have to sell the shop and Justin and I will have to move.” He put up a forced smile. “It’s nothing I can’t handle! Oh, and here… He dropped this earlier. Please, give this back to Wenjun and… and tell him I’m sorry…”

Zeren looked in his hand to find Wenjun’s phone, though the screen was cracked. The lock screen flashed with a picture of Wenjun and Zhengting, taken the night before after the live house performance. The pale hand that gave it to Zeren was shaking and almost seemed reluctant to let go until one of the officers called his name. Bidding a soft farewell, Zhengting got into one of the police cars, burying his face in his hands and finally breaking down once the door had shut.

*

There were hushed voices around him when Wenjun woke up. He didn’t want to open his eyes, the light of whatever room he was in already shining through. He let out a low groan and the voices stopped. There was a moment of silence as he stirred slightly, body feeling heavy.

“He’s awake! Holy shit, he’s awake?”

Xinchun…?

“Someone go get a nurse or something! Zhezhe, you’re the quickest! Go!”

Zeren?

“Geez, don’t rushe me! This is a hospital after all?

Quanzhe? Hospital?

Wenjun eventually found the willpower to open his eyes, vision swimming at first. There were blobs in front of him that continued to speak and call his name before they eventually sharpened into Zeren and Xinchun, their faces lighting up with joy as recognition flooded Wenjun’s face. 

“Guys? What’s going on?” Wenjun’s voice was scratchy and dry from being unused, causing the boy to inwardly shudder at the sound of it. “Water…”

Zeren nodded and went over to a small table where a glass and pitcher were located. Xinchun slowly sat on the side of the bed, taking Wenjun’s hand.

“We thought you were a goner! You’ve been out for like, a whole week now!” A week? Wenjun shook his head slowly, trying to prove his disbelief when there was a sudden burst of pain from one side, reminding him clearly why he was in bed in the first place.

“Here.” A glass of water was pushed in front of his face and Wenjun took it gratefully. Glancing between Zeren and Xinchun as he drank, the older planned on asking what had happened, but Quanzhe walking in with a doctor halted any questions.

“Junie! You’re still up!” The youngest went over to Wenjun’s side and hugged him, another person walking into the room behind him. The hug caused Wenjun to flinch in pain, but he did his best to hug the younger back the best he could. The doctor that followed Quanzhe into the room was dressed in a white coat and held a clipboard in his hand. Wenjun patted Quanzhe lightly and bowed slightly to the newcomer, hiding yet another wince of pain.

“If you wouldn’t mind,” his voice was deep and smooth as he spoke, Wenjun picking up on the subtle accent he tried to hide. If he had to compare it to something, it almost sounded like a cello.

The other three nodded and moved in a line to leave the room, leaving Wenjun alone with the doctor. His name tag simply read “Mubo” on it, so the name in itself was easy enough to remember.

“Do you know what you’re here?” Mubo asked, seating himself in a nearby chair. Wenjun nodded, more cautiously this time.

“It’s because of this, right?” He pointed to his bandaged head, a small grin forming. “I… got hit with a bat, I think. That’s the last thing I remember.”

Mubo moved to write something down on the clipboard. “It seems as though your memory hasn’t been damaged too badly, in that case. Regardless, there are some questions I have to go through. Would you mind if I did?” 

Wenjun didn’t realize by “a few” questions, Mubo actually meant a whole interrogation. Besides the pulsing headache, Wenjun felt mostly fine by the end. He was told a few more tests were needed to assure the fact he wasn’t having any internal bleeding or other side effects and he was most likely able to return home with the next few days.

It didn’t take long after the doctor left for the familiar trio to rush back inside, the three of them trying to update Wenjun all at once. First, Zeren had to pride himself on the fact his helmet ultimately was the thing that saved Wenjun after his initial fall down the stairs. Second, Xinchun had been the one to inform Wenjun’s parents of what happened and they were going to come back from their overseas work for a bit to check in on him. Lastly, Quanzhe had meekly piped up to mention that Justin had disappeared from school for the last few days and no one knew where he went.

“Zhengting! Where is he!? Is he all right?” The mention of Justin sent the oldest into a jolt of realization. Zhengting! How could he have ever forgotten?

Zeren and Xinchun exchanged glances, neither one wanting to break the topic.

“Well, you see, Wenjun… Um, he left town, I think…” Eventually, Xinchun spoke up. Wenjun’s shocked expression spoke more than any words he tried to conjure up.

“He wanted me to give you back your phone… and said that he was sorry…” Zeren fished around in the pocket of his jacket before pulling out Wenjun’s phone. The lock screen had a crack creeping up the middle of it, between where Wenjun and Zhengting’s faces were.

He stared at the screen for a while, unsure how to respond. The trio fell silent, not knowing how to comfort their friend. It was different from Wenjun’s previous relationships, as before he would just smile and say he was fine before actually feeling better. Never before had he looked so downcast and depressed.

Unable to handle it, Zeren had been the first to leave, saying Yanchen was waiting for him by the entrance. When Wenjun just sadly murmured a goodbye, Xinchun followed suit with Quanzhe, saying the high schooler’s parents wanted him home. Oddly enough, the youngest had been fiddling with his own phone before giving Wenjun a hug and leaving. 

Alone in the hospital room, filled with the distant sounds of people moaning and complaining, as well as mechanic beeps, Wenjun just sat there. There had been something special about Zhengting that attracted the college student. Beyond just the sweet sound of his voice, everything about Zhengting had been… Perfect, at least in Wenjun’s eyes. His delicate way of making drinks, the tinkling laughter when Wenjun complained about something his professor said, and even his way of hitting Wenjun when he got overly excited over a new order of coffee that had come in. Everything was uniquely Zhengting and Wenjun couldn’t stop himself from loving it all.

That’s why, when he heard what sounded like the shy and hushed voice of the cafe owner, he thought he was hallucinating. But when the rougher, pushier, sound of Justin’s voice came through as well, Wenjun couldn’t help but let his heart soar.

“B-But what if he’s sleeping? What if he doesn’t even want to see me? He’s probably mad at me for missing his show...”

“Zhengting, will you listen to yourself? You sound crazy, and trust me, I know what crazy sounds like.”

“But Minghao, I-“

“Oh look, room 427! There you go, I’ll pick you up later, bye~!” In a sudden rush, the doorframe was filled with the shocked figure of Zhu Zhengting, most likely pushed there by Justin. The the sound of rapid footsteps disappearing down the hall most likely meant the younger had now dashed away, leaving his caretaker alone.

For a moment, Zhengting just stood there. In his arms was a small bouquet of flowers, still damp from whatever container they were in previously. Slowly, the cafe owner turned towards Wenjun. He wore a tattered hoodie that seemed to swallow his whole figure whole. Even with the hood up, it was easy enough to make out the worry etched into his face.

“H-Hi…”

“Hey…”

The two made momentary eye contact before Zhengting bowed his head down and stepped forward, shoving the flowers into Wenjun’s hands.

“F-for you! As an apology for what happened! And a thank you for saving me!” His voice wavered slightly once Wenjun took the flowers, placing one hand over Zhengting’s.

“Won’t you sit with me for a moment?” Zhengting paused for a moment before abruptly sitting down on Wenjun’s bed, still not properly facing the younger. He was rigid, sitting straight up and facing the wall.

They stayed like that for a few moments. The flowers were placed on a nearby table, but Wenjun’s hand never left its position on top of Zhengting’s. Slowly, their fingers interlocked with one another’s, though neither boy spoke a word.

“I’m not mad you know,” Wenjun said, squeezing tighter around Zhengting’s hand. “In fact, I’m really happy you visited me…”

Zhengting merely nodded, still not showing his face. Little did Wenjun know, the older’s cheeks were now painted in pink.

“I know I just woke up, but I feel like I haven’t seen you in ages…” Wenjun wiggled forward the best he could, moving closer towards Zhengting. He gently lowered the other’s hood, revealing the colored face, as well as some other things. “Holy shit, did he strangle you!?”

Ugly bruises blossomed around Zhengting’s neck, painting it in purple and yellow and in the shape of fingers. The older merely nodded his head, soundless tears rolling down his cheeks. Thought that was an action that Xukun had taken against him, it didn’t hurt Zhengting nearly as much as it did to see the college student in his injured state. Suddenly, Zhengting felt himself embraced in warmth, the gentle scent of Wenjun floating around him.

“Fucking hell, I’m so glad you’re okay. Well, obviously, you’re not okay, but like you’re here… with me. So, that’s okay in my book.” The younger grinned sheepishly at the comment, not knowing what the response would be. When he was greeted with the gentle laughter from the other, his heart soared and he held Zhengting even closer. “Don’t leave my side again, okay?”

Zhengting finally turned towards Wenjun and buried himself in the crook of Wenjun’s neck, hiding his expression. “But I have to go… I don’t have a home anymore. I-I’m sorry, I don’t want to, but…”

“Then don’t!” Pushing Zhengting away, Wenjun held the other by his shoulders, gaze full of desperation. “Don’t leave, Zhengting. You can stay with me! And Justin can come too! Quanzhe will be next door and Zeren and Xinchun are near by too… God, even if they all move away, I don’t care. The only one who can’t is you. Please...”

Zhengting was sure his face had turned into an ugly mess at this point. Tears were rolling down his red cheeks, nose sniffling every moment. But instead of being hit or ridiculed, all he felt was Wenjun’s gentle thumb wiping away the tears from his cheeks. All he felt was the soft press of Wenjun’s lips against his, not demanding or invasive, just soft and filled with love.

“Stay with me?”

Zhengting nodded, rushing back into Wenjun’s arms and locking him into a deep kiss, filled with love.

**Author's Note:**

> Also, this isn't the end! I plan to add an "after" chapter, so look forward to just probably a few pages more of writing :)


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